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Durham, NC selected for Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grant

Release Date: 06/21/2012
Contact Information: James Pinkney, 404-562-9183, [email protected]

(ATLANTA – June 21, 2012) Today in New Orleans, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus announced Durham, NC as one of 15 grantees receiving $200,000 through the Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) program.

“People want and deserve both a healthier environment as well as greater economic opportunity,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “This training program for environmental jobs has a proven track record. Approximately 71 percent of graduates find employment in environmental fields that serve local communities.”

The Durham EWDJT grant will target recruitment in the Northeast Central Durham area. The City’s cooperative partners include Durham Technical Community College and the NC Department of Labor, Apprenticeship and Training Bureau. The City plans to enroll 75 students, graduate 60 and place 42 in full time environmental-related jobs (80% retention and 70% placement rates). The curriculum includes OSHA health and safety training, solid/hazardous waste and wastewater management training.

The EWDJT grants will recruit, train, and place unemployed individuals in jobs that address environmental challenges in their communities. These investments will protect the health of local communities by targeting economically disadvantaged neighborhoods where environmental cleanups and jobs are often most needed.

EPA’s Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training program seeks to stimulate the development of partnerships among local workforce investment boards, community-based organizations, governmental entities, and academic institutions. The program also helps to enhance the skills and the availability of local labor while providing communities the flexibility to design training programs that meet their individual market’s demands and preferences.

Community members interested in obtaining additional information are encouraged to contact: Philip H. Vorsatz, Brownfields Coordinator, at (404) 562-8789.